Internal-combustion engine



H. C. MUELLER. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE; APPLICATION men 05.2.24. 1912.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

UNITED STATES HERMAN C. MUELLER,

0]! MILWAUKEE, WISCON SIN.

INTERNALOOMIBUSTIO N ENGINE.

Application filed December 24, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HERMAN C. lllununnn, a citizen of the United States, residin at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and btate of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-(omlmstion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines of that type in which an auxiliary chaml'ier is provided to receive fuel from a source of supply, and air from the cylinder, preparatory to and during the compression stroke of the engine pis ton, the heat of compression being added to that radiating inwardly from the walls of the chamber, to vaporize and then ignite the mixture preparatory to its delivery to the cylinder as a slow burning mixture capable of rapid distribution and combinationwith the cylinder air as soon as the pressure in the auxiliary chamber exceeds that developed by the piston in the cylinder itself.

Engines of this ty e, including two cycle engines, develop hig efliciency and are capa le of utilizing fuels of high specific gravity and low volatility, the temperature in the auxiliary chamber being sufiiciently high to vaporize such fuels in part before ignition and in some instances after initial combustion of the more volatile portions has raised the temperature above that developed by compression. But heretofore considerable difiiculty has been experienced in keeping the fuel inlet free from carbon, particularly where valves are employed to control the fuel delivery. It has also been found in practice that where an ordinary valve is employed, slight particles of sediment, or of carbon, prevent the valve from seating properly, and during the compression stroke. quantities of the combustible mixture are driven into the air and fuel passageslhereby not only destroying the efiiciency of the engine by preventing a proper mixture from being delivered. but quickly clogging the passages with deposits of carbon and making it necessary to stop the engine and clean the passages or replace the elements through which they pass.

The object of mv invention is to overcome the above difliculties by providing a ported rotary valve which will wear to its seat, but in which the wear will be reduced to a mini mum by operating the valve during the exhaust period, or during the beginning of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1;}21.

Serial No. 208,703.

compression stroke, the valve being then under light pressure and easily rotat d. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved form of valve whereby the pressure exerted by the fuel and air may be substantially balanced, and wherebv 'efi'ective mixing and distribution of the inixture throughout the auxiliary chamber may be secured.

In the drawings 2- Figure l is a sectional view of an internal combustion engine, drawn generally to a plane common to the axes of the fuel inlet and air ducts leading to the auxiliary combustion chamber.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the auxiliary chamber, showing the inlet controlling valve in full.

Fig. 3, is a detail view of the ported inlet Pilig, with the valve removed.

ig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the valve.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The cylinder 1, piston 2, exhaust passage 3, exhaust valve 4:, and fuel inlet passage 5 may be of any ordinary construction, an therefore need not be more full described.

The cylinder head 7 is provi ed with an opening leading to which a cup shaped member providing auxiliary chamber,

member 8 is seated, this the inner walls of the and having one or more outlet ports 9 communicating with the cylinder through the passage 5. A plug 10, fitted to the opening in the cylinder head and to the rear portions of the cup shaped member 8, is provided with an air passage along its axis, and this air passage islen rged at its inner end to form a conicall tapered valve seat at 12, adapted to reeeivla valve 13 havin a correspondingly taper gseating face, an provided with an opersdingstem 14. The seating face of the valve is provided with a groove 15 leading from the passage 11, and the valve is provided with a passage 17 leading from its seating face through the valve, and adapted to permit air delivery from the passage -11 through the groove 15 and passage 17 into the auxiliary chamber, when the passage 17 is in registry with the groove The member 10 is also provided with a. fuel passage 20, with which c. fuel inlet duct 21 communicates. This passage is reduce the fuel inlet duct 5, in?

at its lower end and also leads through the seating face of the valve at 22. The valve is provided with a passa e 23 leading throu%h its seating face to t e passage 1.7, and a so communicatin with the auxiliary chamber through an independent passage or port 25. The passage 23 is adapted for registry with the fuel inlet duct simultaneously with the registry of passage 1? to with the groove 23, whereby air and fuel may be simultaneouslyf' 'ulmitted to the aux iliary chamber through the durts'll and 20 res actively.

he upper end of the air passage ll is closed by a plug 27. through which the valve stem 14 passes, and through Wllll'll air admitted to the duct 11. from the exterior through a cross passage 28, having a ported plug 29, to control or limit the quantity of air admitted.

With the above described construction. it is obvious that the air and fuel inlets for the auxiliary chamber may he simullanc o'usly closed by rotating the valve 13 upon its sent to carry the ducts 17 and 23 out of registry with the groo l5 and port 22. In operation, the valve 12% will be rotated to the Fig. 1 position. to admit fuel and air to the auxiliary chamber or cavity foi'nmd he tween the valve and opposing surfaces of the member In a four cycle engine this may occur during the suction stroke of the piston. In a two cycle engine the valve will be so adjusted to admit fuel and air while the piston is ah or near, the limit of its out ward stroke, and air and fuel may then he in jected into the auxiliary chamber from any suitable source of so ply, and under any desired pressure, s11 iclent to provide the 40 ifiquisite quantity of each. The injection of "e fuel into the auxiliary chamber may ake place during the initial portion of the compression stroke. but in any the valve 13 will be rotated to close the air and fuel inlet ducts before the pressure has been raised to a point where the operation of the valve will require any considerable force,

thusavoiding excessive 'Wfilil' of the valve ts seat. 7 i time final portion of the com resn str fe he pressure within the auxi iary that will be sufficient to ignite the fuel stein, the construction being such that the moves into close proximity to the cylend, the space in the passage 5 and thrauxiliary chamber being small, hereby a bi h pressure may be developed. -The usages 7 and 23, and also the port 25, are I smell to allow combustion to take M-place 'within them, the mixture of fuel within the auxiliary chamber being of such a character that only slow combustion is germitted for a brief interval, pending the V ischarge of the fluid ihto the cylinder as 0 Goon as the pressure inthe auxiliary chamber has been raised to a point above that in the cylinder. Any tendency of the passages 17 and 23 and of the ort 25 to become rlogged is counteracted )y the forcible delivery of air and fuel through these passages, the kinetic energy developed within the passages tending to carry away all material whiclrtends to precipitate upon the walls thereof.

It will be observed that the valve stem 1.4 "/5 is provided with an operating lever 30, whereby it may be oscillated into and out of open position, motion being derived from a cam shaft (not shown) in an ordinary manner, it not being deemed necessary to show so the connections. It is well understood that in this manner the movements of the valve may be properly timed. The needle valve 32 is also connected by its stem 33 with an operatinglever, the latter being actuated either manually or from a governor, as may be desircl.

It will also be observed that the valve 13 is resiliently l id to its seat by a spring 35 interposed between the outer end of the plug ill and a collar 36, threaded on the valve stem 14. This is desirable in order that the valve may be held continuously upon the seat, thereby preventing sediment from be roming interposed between the valve and its seat. as is lilll' case where valves are emloycd which move to and from theirseats, as has heretofore been the practice with this ty ge of engines.

. claim:

1.. An internal combustion engine, including the combination with the cylinder, of an auxiliary chamber provided with air and fuel admission ducts, and ported for communication with the c linder, a valve controlling air and fuel elivery through the inlet ducts to the auxiliary chamber, said valve having passages therethrough, adapted in one position of rotative adjust' mcnt to register with said ducts, and means for intcrmittingly rotating said valve upon its seat, during the intervals of low pressure within the cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine, having an au iliary fuel vaporizing and mixing chamcrorganized to utilize the heat of compression to ignite a slow burning mixture In the auxiliary chamber, the combination an auxiliary chamber wall provided with a comically tapered valve seat, air and fuel inlet passages leading therethrough below the a ex, of a conicallyta- Tiered valve provide with an air passage ending therethrough, and adapted for registry with the air passage in the valve seat, said valve also having a. passage adapted for simultaneous registry with the fuel inlet passage in the valve seat, and means for periodically oscillating the valve about an axis intersecting the apex and the center of its base to open and close said inlet pas- 2:15:95,

:5. The combination with the cylinder, of an internal combustion engine. having an auxiliary chamber provided with air and l'uel admission ducts, of a rotative valve controlliiig air and fuel deliveries to the auxiliary chamber through said ducts, said auxiliary chamber being adapted to discharge, its contents into the cylinder and means for periodically oscillating the valve about an axis through its apex and the center of its base to open and close said ducts.

4. In a high pressure self-igniting internal con'iliustion engine having a cylinder provided with an auxiliary ignition chamher in communication with the cylinder, and also provided with a fuel inlet duct, a rotary valve controlling 'Fuel deliveries through said duct and means for admitting sullicicnt air to said auxiliary chamber to allow a slow combustion of said fuel within the chamber. 7

5. An internal combustion enginm of the high pressure self-igniting type. including; the combination with thoengine cylinder, of an auxiliary chamber havin separate air and fuel inlet ducts and a rotatively adjust able valve, controlling deliveries through both of said ducts, said valve having passages thercthrmigh adapted in one position of valve adiustment to connect said air and fuel inlet duets with the interior of said chamber, and in another position to separately close both ducts, said auxiliary chamber having a constantly open outlet port leading to the cylinder.

6. An internal combustion engine, including the combination with the cylincleriof an auxiliary chamber, having a conical) valve seat provided with fuel and air inlet/ports, in the sloping; surfaces of the seat, a conical valve controlling deliveries through both of szaid ports, said valve having passages therethrough, and adapted when oscillated r0- tatively upon the seat to connect and disconnect the ports with said auxiliary chainbcr. and a valve stem provided with an oscillatory valve actuating memher.

T. The combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine having an auxiliary chamber provided with air and fuel admission ducts, of a valve seat, ported for communication between saidducts and the auxiliary chamber, a valve adapted for slidin; movement upon the seat. to open and close said portrsiwhile remaining in contact with the seat, and an oscillatory valve {KPH}- ating member.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in the presence of two witne:-=ses.

0. C. lVnIncn. 

